Esperanza was a stray dog at a reserve in Alberta, Canada who got hit by a car. Her rear leg was badly injured, but she kept right on with her family responsibilities. She had six babies, after all -five puppies and a kitten- to nurse.

Criss Gerwing, who runs a small animal rescue group, discovered the dog earlier this month and couldn't believe it when the canine led her to her blended brood.

"I cried because she was in such bad condition with her leg, but she was obviously nursing her puppies and this kitten," Gerwing told a media outlet.

Gerwing took the entire family to the Edmonton Humane Society, where veterinarians thought they'd have to amputate the mother dog's bad leg.

But local vet Dr. Milton Ness volunteered to do a special surgery that saved Esperanza's hind quarter. He calls her a "special soul."

They don't know how the kitten got into the mix.. he was a 4 month old kitten when they came to the shelter here in edmonton... so they immediately weaned him.. but they're still a loving little family so jacob the kitty frequently visits with his foster mum and brothers and sisters.

It's just another example of how awesome our edmonton humane society is. I still cry every time i visit the shelter, but the facility and staff are truly amazing!

I wonder if she adopted the whole litter. The puppies don't look anything like her and somehow there is a kitten in there. I wish they would have tried to at least explain how the kitten got into that mix.